Known container-processing machines include rotary machines having a large number of processing positions on a rotor. Each such processing position has, among other things, a processing head and a container carrier.
Such container-processing machines include first and second transfer stations. At the first transfer station, containers to be processed are transferred one at a time from an external transporter to a processing position. At the second transfer station, processed containers are removed from the processing positions.
In many cases, both of these operations involve a vertical relative movement between the processing head and the container carrier of the relevant processing position. This movement causes a transition between a transferring state and a processing state.
In the transferring state, the container carrier is lowered so that it is further from the processing head. In the processing state, the container carrier moves closer to the processing head. This seals the container on the container carrier against the processing head and permits a probe-like section of the processing head to extend into the container interior. An example of such a probe-like section is a filling tube having probe-like element for determining a filling level. Another example is a tube for introducing a cleaning or disinfecting medium into the container.
Known container-processing machines provide each processing position with its own dedicated lifting element. This lifting element lifts the container carrier. A typical lifting element includes a positioning drive, such as a lifting cylinder or a linear drive. This makes it possible to rapidly raise or lower container carriers using a lifting element with a compact design that also avoids complex lifting or control cams and wear-prone cam rollers.